CATERPILLARS / BUTTERFLIES

CATERPILLARS / BUTTERFLIES
ART
SPLODGIES
Fold a piece of white paper in half. Dribble different color paint in wing shape on one
side of paper. Fold paper over paint and press. Paint will transfer to both sides of
paper making colorful wings. Let dry. Draw or paint on butterfly bodies.
LIMA BEAN CATERPILLARS
Decorate dry Lima beans with permanent magic markers.
Make stripes, eyes, and mouths. Use your caterpillar
beans to count, sort, sequence, or decorate pictures.
CATERPILLAR MAGNETS
Glue 3-4 small pom poms to a piece of strip magnet. Glue on roly-poly eyes. Add
antenna made of pipe cleaners.
SANDWICH BAG BUTTERFLY
Fill a plastic sandwich bag 2/3 full or scrap tissue paper or
other colorful paper. Push out all the air and seal. Tape
the bag shut. Divide the bag into halves and wrap a pipe
cleaner around the middle. Spread the sandwich bag to
form wings. Twist the pipe cleaner at the top to form
antenna.
EGG CARTON CATERPILLAR
1. Cut the cup portion of an egg carton in half to form two
long "caterpillars."
2. Paint and decorate.
3. Glue wiggle eyes to front cup.
4. Add pipe cleaners for antenna.
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CLOTHESPIN BUTTERFLIES
Use old-fashioned slotted clothespins (the kind without the springs) Cut two 4" by 6"
rectangles of colored tissue paper and squash into clothespin to form wings. Add
antenna with pipe cleaners.
FLYING BUTTERFLIES
Cut butterfly shapes from poster board. Color and decorate. Punch a hole in the top of
the shape and tie a 2 foot length of string onto the butterfly. Punch a hole in the top of a
paper cup. Thread the string through the hole. Tie a bead on the end of the string to
keep it from slipping back through hole. Gently pull and release the string to move the
butterfly up and down.
CATERPILLARS
Cut caterpillar shapes from poster board. Wrap the caterpillars in thread or left-over
Halloween spider web material. Hang the cocoons from a branch and talk about what
will happen to the caterpillars. Each day, remove a cocoon and replace it with a paper
butterfly!
ORIGAMI BUTTERFLIES
1. Fold a 6” square of paper in half diagonally.
2. Fold
triangle in half.
3. Open fold.
4. Fold over corner.
5. Open fold.
6. Fold over other corner.
7. Open fold.
8. Decorate butterfly.
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FOOT BUTTERFLIES
Have child stand with feet together on a piece of paper. Trace around both feet. The
feet will form the wings of the butterfly. Have children color and add bodies and
antenna.
CATERPILLAR PRINTS
Use thumb pressed onto stamp pad to make caterpillars. Add feet and antenna.
CRAYON BUTTERFLIES
1. Shave crayons
onto piece of
waxed paper and
place 2nd piece on
top.
2. On low setting
with NO steam,
iron waxed paper
to seal and melt
crayons.
3. Let cool.
4. Cut butterfly shape. Hang in window.
BUTTERFLY PUPPETS
Material: 2 paper plates, crayons, scissors, stapler
Draw a butterfly on one plate and color it. Cut the other plate in half. Trim 1 inch from
the cut edge of each half of the cut plate. Fold the plate with the butterfly on it in half.
Crease down the center of the butterfly body. Fold the sides back toward the body.
Staple the cut halves of the plate to the back of the other plate so an opening is created
along the crease of the colored plate. Put your thumb in one pocket and your fingers in
the other pocket. Open and close hand to make the butterfly fly.
POM-POM CATERPILLAR PUPPET
Material: pom-pom string (available at most hobby shops)
google eyes, artificial flower stamens for antenna, straws or chopsticks
Cut a length of pom-pom rope with 5 to 6 poms. Glue antenna and
eyes onto front pom. Glue chopsticks to head and 2nd pom from end.
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CRAZY CATERPILLARS
Material: 2 knee socks, stuffing, yarn, 4 pipe cleaners,
markers, scissors, glue
Stuff toe of sock to make head. Tie off head with yarn. Put more stuffing in sock to
make a body section. Tie off section. Continue until you fill sock. Tie off last section
tightly. Decorate with felt scraps or markers. Poke in pipe cleaner antennae.
STAGES OF LIFE
Toilet-paper tube, craft stick, Heavy paper, 6" piece of pipe cleaner, folded in half
Markers or crayons, Scissors and glue
1. Cut out and color a butterfly from the heavy paper. Use any
colors, but make both halves look the same. Put a small hole at
the top of the butterfly's head.
2. Color the toilet paper tube to look like a chrysalis. (A monarch
butterfly's chrysalis is green, but you can use any color.)
3. Take a piece
Put one point
and then twist it
"feelers" to learn
of pipe cleaner and shape it like the letter "V".
through the little hole in the butterfly's head
to look like antennae. Butterflies use these
about their environment.
4. Glue the
butterfly to one end of the craft stick. Let the
glue dry.
5. Curl the butterfly's wings and slide it into the chrysalis.
6. Pull the stick to make the beautiful butterfly come out of the
chrysalis. Fly your butterfly like a real one!
MIRROR BUTTERFLY HANDPRINTS
Cut out a thorax for each child. Let them glue it to center of white
construction paper. Paint each child’s hand with poster paint. Place
each hand on the opposite side of the body, spreading fingers out to
make wings.
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SONGS
BUTTERFLY, BUTTERFLY (to tune of "Jingle Bells")
Butterfly, butterfly, Dancing all around.
Butterfly, butterfly, Now you're on the ground.
In a tree, hard to see, Now you've flown away.
Butterfly, oh butterfly, Please come back some day.
UP AND DOWN (to tune of "London Bridge")
(. Have children use clothes-pin butterflies to go up and down)
Butterflies fly up and down,
Up and down, up and down.
Butterflies fly up and down,
See them flutter.
They flap their wings and up they go!
Up they go, up they go!
They flap their wings and up they go.
See them flutter.
Gently softly, down they come,
Down they come, down they come.
Gently softly, down they come
See them flutter.
FLUTTER, FLUTTER (to tune of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star”)
Flutter, flutter, butterfly.
Floating in the summer sky.
Floating by for all to see,
Floating by so merrily.
Flutter, flutter, butterfly,
Floating in the summer sky.
I'm a stri-ped caterpillar.
I'm such a chubby feller.
I love to eat and eat,
those leaves are such a treat!
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BEAUTIFUL BUTTERFLY (to tune of "Up on the House Top")
First comes a butterfly that lays an egg.
Out comes a caterpillar with many legs.
Oh, see the caterpillar spin and spin,
A chrysalis to sleep in.
Oh, oh, oh, look and see
Oh, oh, oh, look and see
Out of the chrysalis... my, oh, my
Out comes a beautiful butterfly!
CATERPILLAR'S SONG (to tune of "The Adam's Family”)
My tummy is fat. (snap snap)
I like it like that. (snap snap)
I wiggle around.
I jiggle around.
My tummy is fat (snap snap)
SNACKS
BUTTERFLY SANDWICHES
Cut sandwiches on diagonal, put on plate pointed sides facing each
other. Peel and clean small carrot. Use carrot for body. Add antenna
out of carrot curls or thin celery slices.
BUTTERFLY
Cut 1 celery stalk in half. Fill with cheese or peanut butter
Press 2 pretzel knots into each stalk for wings and 2 chow mein
noodles into front for antennae.
BANANAPILLAR
Peel 1 banana
Poke 6 pretzel sticks in each side of banana for legs and 2 in
top for antennae
Attach raisin eyes with dab of peanut butter.
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CATERPILLAR DESSERT
Cut three grapes in half and line them up in a straight line on a plate. Put raisin feet
and eyes in appropriate places.
CATERPILLAR AND BUTTERFLY
Dampen gummy LifeSavers and press them together to
form caterpillar bodies. Roll a piece of taffy into a ball
for the head. Add frosting eyes and gumdrop tail. Use
coated licorice candy for caterpillar’s legs and slices of
string licorice for butterfly’s antennae. Use gumdrop
fruit slices for butterfly wings.
OTHER FUN STUFF
CLASS CATERPILLAR
Give each child a paper lunch bag to fill ¾ full of crumpled newspaper. Staple bags
closed about 3” from top. Let kids paint the sides and bottoms with green paint. When
dry, lay the bags in a line with the flat top of bag under the stuffed bottom of the next
bag. Tape together to form a caterpillar. Add eyes and antennae.
CATERPILLAR WALK
Have children form a caterpillar by lining up in a row on their knees. Ask each child to
hold onto the back or legs of the person in front of him. Then have the children crawl
together in a line by taking steps first with their right knees, then with their left knees
and so on. Have them crawl around the room.
BUTTERFLY PIE
Material: dirt, water, flower petals, 1 cup sugar, pie pan, sunny day
Mix dirt and water to make mud. Stir in lots of flower petals and sugar. Put in pie pan
and set out to dry. butterflies will enjoy!
BUTTERFLY CATCHING
Cut butterfly shapes out of lightweight paper. Throw them up into the air and let the
children take turns catching them with a strainer.
BUTTERFLY WINGS
Use two colorful scarves (or squares of filmy material) to make butterfly wings. Safety
pin the scarves to the sleeves of a child's long-sleeved shirt.
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ANTENNA
Make a headband from wide elastic. Add two antennae made from pipe cleaners. If
you like, you can add small styrofoam balls rolled in glitter to tops of pipe cleaners.
WEBSITES
http://www.abcteach.com/free/d/dot_butterfly_to10.pdf - Dot-to-dot butterfly
http://www.abcteach.com/free/d/dot_caterpillar_to5.pdf - Dot-to-dot caterpillar
http://www.zoomwhales.com/crafts/butterfly/ - Fact sheets, activities, and printouts
http://www.preschoolprintables.com/filefolder/butterfly/filefolderbutterfly.shtml
A colorful file folder game to print and make
FINGERPLAYS
FUZZY WUZZY CATERPILLAR
Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar,
Into a corner will creep (creep hand)
She'll spin herself a blanket
And then go fast asleep (close eyes)
Fuzzy wuzzy caterpillar
Will wake up by and by, (open eyes)
To find that she has grown two wings,
Now she's a butterfly (wave arms at sides)
THE CATERPILLAR
A caterpillar crawled to the top of a tree. (crawl fingers up arm)
"I think I'll take a nap," said he.
So under a leaf he began to creep (wrap right hand over left fist)
To spin his cocoon and he fell asleep.
All winter he slept in his cocoon bed,
'Till spring came along one day and said,
"Wake up, wake, up little sleepyhead. (shake left fist with right hand)
Wake up; it's time to get out of bed."
So he opened his eyes that sun-shiny day. (spread fingers and look into hand)
Look! He's a butterfly -- and he flew away. (Move hand in flying motion)
CATERPILLARS
"Let's go to sleep," the caterpillars said
As they tucked themselves into their beds (tuck fingers into fist)
They will awaken, by and by (slowly open hand)
And each will be a butterfly! (fly fingers)
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5 LITTLE CATERPILLARS
5 little caterpillars munching on a leaf
1 little caterpillar takes a little sleep
This little caterpillar wakes up with a cry
“I'm not a caterpillar I'm a great big butterfly!”
4 little caterpillars munch the leaf some more
1 little caterpillar soon begins to snore
This little caterpillar wakes up with a cry,
“I'm not a caterpillar I'm a great big butterfly!”
3 little caterpillars munching on their snack
1 little caterpillar takes a little nap
This little caterpillar wakes up with a cry,
“I'm not a caterpillar I'm a great big butterfly!”
2 little caterpillars munch the leaf and choose
1 little caterpillar to have a little snooze
This little caterpillar wakes up with a cry
“I'm not a caterpillar I'm a great big butterfly!”
1 little caterpillar left upon the leaf
1 little caterpillar cries out with relief
“I'm a lucky caterpillar, if I had nodded off
I would not have been a butterfly; I'd have been a blooming moth!!
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BUTTERFLY MASK
Lay pattern on fold of paper and cut out. Cut out dark area for eye holes. Let children
color and decorate. Add string and adjust to fit face.
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CATERPILLAR HEADBAND
Copy pattern for each child and let them color. Cut out picture and attach to a paper
strip cut to fit child’s head.
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STAINED GLASS BUTTERFLIES
Fold a piece of black construction paper in half and lay pattern on fold. Cut around
pattern and cut out holes. Cut colored tissue paper slightly larger than holes in butterfly
wings. Glue edges of tissue to back of butterfly. Hang in windows to let light shine
through.
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RACE FOR THE WINGS Copy game board. Roll dice to race for wings!
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VERY HUNGRY CATERPILLAR FINGER PUPPETS
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BUTTERFLY MATCHING
Cut patter. On 1 half write number. On other half draw corresponding dots. Have
children match halves to make butterflies.
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FROM CATERPILLAR TO BUTTERFLY
Copy one pattern for each child. Let them color. Cut the circles out and place them in
order on the wings.
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CATERPILLAR AND BUTTERFLY BOOKS
J 398.2 TAY
J 595.7
J 595.78
E ARAKI
E ASTON
E BROWN
E BRUEL
E CAPUCILLI
E CARLE
E COLLICOTT
E COSGROVE
E COSGROVE
E DELUISE
E DONALDSON
E EDWARDS
E EHLERT
E ELWELL
E FALWELL
E FOLEY
E GOLDMAN
E HARDY
E HEAP
E HOWE
E JARRETT
E KELLER
E KENT
E LEES
E LEWISON
E LIONNI
E MADISON
E MARKLE
E MARTIN
E MAYER
E MCBRATNEY
E MILLARD
E OCONNOR
E OCONNOR
E OFLATHERTA
E PARISH
E PEDERSEN
E PROSEK
E RUNTON
Taylor
Araki
Aston
Brown
Bruel
Capucilli
Carle
Collicott
Cosgrove
Cosgrove
De Luise
Donaldson
Edwards
Ehlert
Elwell
Falwell
Foley
Goldman
Hardy
Heap
Howe
Jarrett
Keller
Kent
Lees
Lewison
Lionni
Madison
Markle
Martin
Mayer
McBratney
Millard
O’Connor
O'Connor
O’Flatherta
Parish
Pedersen
Prosek
Runton
Coyote And The Laughing Butterflies
section on caterpillars, insects & butterflies
section on Butterflies
Kitten’s Big Adventure
Butterfly Is Patient
If At First You Do Not See
Bob And Otto
Katy Duck Is A Caterpillar
Very Hungry Caterpillar
Toestomper And The Caterpillars
Gossamer
Dream Tree
Charlie The Caterpillar
Where’s My Mom
Clara Caterpillar
Waiting For Wings
Adios, Oscar!
Butterflies For Kiri
Don’t Worry, Bear
Uncle Monarch And The Day Of The Dead
Where Is Fred?
Four Friends In The Garden
I Wish I Were A Butterfly
Arabella Miller’s Tiny Caterpillar
Farfallina & Marcel
Caterpillar And The Polliwog
Moustachapillar
Princess Buttercup
Inch By Inch
Velma Gratch And The Way Cool Butterfly
Butterfly Tree
Ten Little Caterpillars
Our Friend Sam
Caterpillow Fight
Kaito’s Cloth
Fancy Nancy – Bonjour, Butterfly
Nina, Nina, Star Ballerina
Hurry And The Monarch
Amelia Bedelia Hits The Trail
Houdini The Amazing Caterpillar
Bird, Butterfly Eel
Owly & Wormy – Friends All Aflutter!
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E SCHAEFER
E SWOPE
E SYMES
E THIERRY
E TRIPP
E WILLIS
E YEP
Schaefer
Swope
Symes
Thierry
Tripp
Willis
Yep
Follow Me, Mittens
Gotta Go! Gotta Go!
Harriet Dancing
Green Butterfly
Hallie’s Horrible Handwriting
Tadpole’s Promise
Butterfly Boy
DVDS
J 595.78 BUT
J 791.43 ADV
J 791.43 DOR
J 791.43 HER
J 791.43 LIT
J 791.43 VER
J 791.43 STA
Butterfly And Moth
Adventures Of Carlos Caterpillar (series)
Dora’s Butterfly Ball
Hermie And Friends (Series)
Little Einsteins – Our Big Huge Adventure (butterfly forests
in Mexico)
Very Hungry Caterpillar And Other Stories (Very Hungry
Caterpillar)
Stanley – Spring Fever
SOUND RECORDINGS
J 782.42 PAL
Hap Palmer’s Animal Antics (Butterfly)
This list was updated on October 18, 2013
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